


Amaranthine

by Vehyn



Category: Ghost Hunt
Genre: Action/Adventure, Learning!, Love/Hate, PK - Freeform, Paranormal, Romance, Slow Burn, StupidNaru!, Why so stubborn!, narcissist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-05-26 07:46:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14996156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vehyn/pseuds/Vehyn
Summary: Mai had imagined a thousand difference scenarios in her head of the moment she reunited with her ex-boss cum love interest. This was not one of them...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is cross-posted on Fanfiction! And I'm back with my work! I always forget to update here, so feel free to remind me in the comments!

_"Mai..." The familiar voice had her spinning, the flora around her swaying in the ever-present breeze of her astral plane. Her whole body froze when her eyes landed on his form, molten honey clashing with a never-ending sea of blue that threatened to drown her, "I like what you've done to the place Mai."_

_Tears instantly clouded her vision when she noticed the slight upturn of his lips, throughs crashing to a halt with only one name breaking through the chaos, "Eugene..."_

_Her hand quivered, reaching out blindly in disbelief, only to come in contact with a cold hand, fingers twinging together as though they hadn't spent years apart. Her perpetually sixteen-year-old spirit guide sighed, a content sound that almost seemed strangled to her._

_"Mai. You've grown so much." He gently picked up a strand of her hair, the waist length brunette locks twisting easily around his fingers._

_"Gene... why are you here?" She caught herself, gasping as she blinked away the tears, as if remembering something terrible, "Gene. I'm so sorry. I thought... the whole time I thought-"_

_With a swift shift he pressed her into his chest, noticing that despite her mature figure he was still taller than her, "Don't even think about it Mai. But I have to warn you..."_

_She tensed, fearing the worst, "Gene? What's wrong?"_

_He sighed and pushed away, turning his back to her, "I won't be able to stay around very long Mai. At least not yet. But you need to be prepared. Things aren't going to happen the way you think they will."_

_"What? Is this about the case?" A sense of professionalism washed over her, drying her tears and pushing aside her guilt, "Is something going to happen?" She pushed out with her othersense, feeling beyond the body she had left behind, "Is something going to happen Gene?"_

_He smiled, not too surprised by how forward she was, "You've grown a lot more than I suspected. Should be a good lesson for him." His whispers were too quiet for her to catch, "Regardless Mai. You need to be careful."_

_"Gene? What are you talking about? Gene!" Her voice echoed through the field, bouncing around like the thoughts in her head, filling the void he left in his place, "Eugene!"_

**xXx Amaranthine xXx**

 She woke with a jolt, jacket falling to the floor, tears dried on her cheeks, pulling her skin tight as she sighed.

 "Jou-chan? Are you alright?" Bou-san walked into based, a bag in either hand as he approached her, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

 A dark laugh left her as she scrubbed a hand across her face, wiping away the signs of her distress, "Something like that." She glanced at the clock on the wall, noticing just how early it was, "Why are you back anyway? Isn't Ayako with you?"

 Houshou lowered the bags to the counter, eyes scanning the monitors as he sorted through the items he'd bought, "Ayako had an emergency shift at the hospital again. So I came here and brought breakfast. I figured you probably stayed the night again." They shared a smile, the older knowing that Mai had picked up her workaholic habits as a way to cope, "Now eat up, you don't look like you slept well and we need to try make some progress on the case."

 The brunette nodded, taking the offered container of food and digging in. Her eyes ran over the details of the case in front of her, numerous reports scattered across the floor that she had dropped when she was pulled from her body rather unceremoniously by Gene.

 "Was you're vision useful?" Bou-san's voice pulled her from her reading, and she shook her head. Everything about it still confused her, but the warning stuck.

 "The only thing I got out of it was that we need to be careful. But nothing else. The spirits aren't doing anything. It's like they're waiting for something. But I can't figure out what..." Mai racked her brain for an answer to jump out at her, but as she stretched her senses, nothing sparked her interest, "There are a few lingering spirits... but other than that, they don't pose a threat."

 Which only confused them more.

  **xXx Two day earlier - March - Wednesday xXx**

 "Bou-san... Are you sure this is where he said to meet him?" Mai looked around in disdain, realising the alley was more than likely occupied by rebelling students during break times.

 "I'm sure. He was really nervous when he approached me after the gig. He doesn't want the school board finding out. The parents apparently cause trouble at the smallest thing, so he doesn't want them to know. Yet anyway. I'm sure the students will talk."

 Mai could only stare at the looming building, the pristine white of the walls spoke volumes of how prestigious the school was. She knew she had tried hard to study, but there was only so much someone of her standing could do. Her emotions showed on her face and Bou-san instantly pressed her against him, holding her to him with one arm.

 "Jou-chan... you really didn't need to do this with me..." He whispered against her head, "I know it wasn't easy."

 She just nodded her head, taking a deep breath before pushing away from him, "I know Bou-san. But I wanted to help. I don't like you guys doing cases on your own. I k-"

 "Takigawa-san. Thank you for meeting me. I know the location of this meeting is unusual. And who would this be?" An elderly man dressed in a suit approached from the mouth of the alley, his dress shoes splashing water from the various puddles on the ground.

 "Ito-san. Yes. This is Taniyama, Mai. We've worked together for years." Bou-san pushed her forward, pressing her to introduce herself properly.

 "It's a pleasure to meet you Ito-san." Mai bowed low to the headmaster of the school, recalling all the small details Bou-san had told her about the client, "Bou-san has explained a little bit about your... dilemma... but could you please explain in a little more detail?"

 She straightened, watching the headmaster fidgeted with the corners of his jacket, “Oh yes. Of course. You see, we recently had an influx of international students. But things started happening around the same time. We couldn’t connect the dots, but students started getting hurt you see. Doors would close on them or shelves would suddenly drop, and books would fly out at random. We rely on our students and their families for funding. We’ve tried to see for ourselves… if it were… _haunted._ But we came up with no negative history, no deaths or incidents. I’m at a loss and the teachers aren’t sure what to do. The parents are riled up enough as it is…”

 “So you want to leave it as low key as possible, correct?” Mai stared at him, eyes searching anything that would give him away as a falsifying client.

 “Of course. The teachers are stressed. The parents are furious that their children are getting injured. If this keeps up I’ll lose my job…” Mai instantly tuned out of his ramblings, noticing that his suit, along with his watch and shoes were all top of the line. A dark part of her laughed at his plight, that his only true concern was the money that his job offered. But the investigator in her wanted to find the truth and protect those getting hurt.

 “We’ll take the case.” She knew it was rude to interrupt him, but she couldn’t be bothered listening, ignoring the look Houshou threw at her, “If you have a security room, we’d like to be based in there. It saves us having to intrude on the students’ day to day activities. It will also diminish any suspicion amongst other faculty and family.”

 Pleased with her words he bowed, passing her a folder with details and pass keys before departing.

  **xXx Amaranthine xXx**

A knock pulled them from their small breakfast, “Excuse me, Taniyama-san, Takigawa-san. Um… I think you should see something…”

 A young student poked her head into the surveillance room, a look of concern etched in her features.

 “Yes, is something the matter?” Mai was up and out of the room before the dark-haired girl had a chance to speak.

“Oh! Well you see,” The young student, known to her classmates as Stephanie Taylor, struggled to keep up with Mai’s pace, not questioning how the brunette woman knew which direction to walk in, “The headmaster… Well. He’s called in some men. And one of my classmates, she’s been bragging that she’s been asked to assist the Professor. Though I know she’s doing it because she got the Professors assistant hurt.”

 Mai’s eyes narrowed as she burst from the administration building, her hair blowing in the morning breeze. Instantly she heard it, the tell-tale yelling of an angry student and something heavy weighed on her instantly as she overheard the conversation.

  **“Headmaster Ito! You can’t be serious? I’m the best qualified to assist and you know it! If you don’t allow me to, than I guess I’ll just have to tell father about all this nonsense-“** The voice stopped, as though the speaker finally realised what she’d said, **“I mean no offence _Professor_. But not _everyone_ understands the complexities of the work you do. I do however. Completely.”**

Mai rounded the corner of the building, heading towards an achingly familiar black van. She could feel Bou-san slow down behind her and the young student that had followed them stepped away, taking her place behind the blonde monk.

 “Charlotte please. Your parents needn’t be involved. I’m sure the professor can handle it just fine on his own. Your education is important.” Mai recognised Headmaster Ito’s voice easily, despite only having met him twice in just as many days.

 “Ito-san. Is everything alright?” She stepped around the van, every muscle in her tensing. The view that greeted her however was of a tall teenage girl with short brown hair and deep blue eyes, but it was her expression that gave her away. Everything about her came across as spoilt, from her handbag to the way her uniform was tailored to the way her lips puffed in a pout at not getting her way.

  **“Geez, now the wannabe investigators are here. You should just send them away Headmaster.”** The young girl, Charlotte, tossed her hair over her shoulder, **“They won’t be much use here now that the Professor has arrived.”**

A vein ticked in Mai’s forehead and she forced herself to take a calming breath, straightening her jacket as she approached, **“Whether you speak English or Japanese makes no difference to me, Charlotte-san. However, your attitude could use some adjustment when speaking to your elders.”**

Her fluency was obviously unexpected with the way both client and student stared at her, mouths agape in shock, but what drew her attention most was the way the items in the van shook ever so slightly, the cause going unseen.

  **“And what would you know? You’re obviously young, but you aren’t in school. Couldn’t hack it could you?”** Charlotte spoke with enough venom to put the men, and a cowering fellow student, on edge.

 “That’s of no concern to you.” Mai hissed, eyes narrowing, keeping an eye both on the van and the snappy girl.

  **“It is when someone tells me to show respect. I’m on a scholarship. If anything, you should show me respect.”** Her attitude reminded Mai of Masako when they’d first met, but even then, Masako hadn’t been as disrespecting to her elders as Charlotte acted.

 “You’re obviously not as smart as you think you are if that’s the way you act.” Mai rolled her shoulders, taking a pre-emptive step forward, the windows of the administrative building rattling in their frames.

  **“How dare you-”** Instantly the glass window closest to her exploded, raining sharp shards on the group. Mai dove forward, shielding Charlotte while Bou-san did similarly with the student that had collected them. Both students screamed, and the scenario tugged at something in the back of Mai’s mind, something eerily familiar; nostalgic even.

 The sound of running feet echoed in her ears and Mai lifted herself from the ground, her shoulders aching from the angle she hit the ground in an effort to avoid squishing the snobbish student. A sharp sting had her sitting up, placing a hand to her cheek only to feel it come away wet.

 “Jou-chan, are you okay?” Bou-san was instantly at her side, surveying the wound, “Stupid. What were you thinking?”

 “That’s what I was thinking.” The voice made them freeze, the pair glancing at each other before trying to find the source of the voice, “It seems things haven’t changed while I was away.”

 The ever-present smirk that accompanied his smug comments had Mai on overdrive, her eyes taking in what was truly in front of her. Everything in her wanted to believe it was true, and that the way they had parted had only been a dream… _a nightmare._ But the logical side of her, the side that had been forced to face reality, knew the truth and squashed down every teenage emotion that tried to rear its ugly head.

  **“Professor Davis.”** Her voice trembled at she swore under her breath, standing from her place on the ground while Bou-san helped Charlotte. Everything about the situation had her reeling. The pieces of information that she had been given, the hint that Lin, she assumed, had been injured and required the girl who had been the cause of his absence to take his place, the exploding glass. The sudden introduction of a new parapsychology team. Everything clicked into place in her head, “Ito-san. If you need us, we’ll be back in the surveillance room.”

 Mai went to turn, ignoring the sting in her cheek. She had almost succeeded in passing both Professor Davis and the Headmaster when the older man placed a hand on her shoulder, “Actually, Taniyama-san… Davis-san will be requiring that room. He will be wiring into our surveillance system through there. I’m sure you understand.”

 She did her best to keep a straight face, but her mind was in turmoil and the burning in her eyes only added fuel to the fire. So, trying to save face, Mai bowed lowly, keeping her back as straight as possible, “Of course Ito-san, I understand. We’ll collect our items then, were would you like us to continue-“

  **“You’re not needed. Now that Professor Davis is here, Headmaster Ito was going to get rid of you both.”** Charlotte rounded on the pair, patching Mai’s glare easily.

“Mai… let’s go.” Bou-san placed a gentle hand on her shoulder while giving both his client, _ex-client,_ and the newly found Professor a stern look. He didn’t have to look at Mai to see the disappointment and frustration on her face.

 “Taniyama-san… Takigawa-san. Please understand-“

 “We understand just fine Ito-san. We’ll leave.” Bou-san usher Mai back the way they’d come, waving a quick goodbye to Stephanie as they went.

  **“Good riddance.”** Charlotte huffed, turning to the remaining members of the group.

 To those that remained by the van, the most unexpected thing happened, “Charlotte, be quiet. And get me tea.”


	2. Himeji Castle: Okiku’s Well Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a few things that I'll clear up now, as I know some people were confused when I posted this on FF.net. He calls Charlotte by her first name because she's British too, so it made sense to have him do this. And there's a jump between the first chapter and this chapter because the first was essentially a prologue. So please don't kill me for that :) Also, I know Mai's a little OOC in this chapter, it all makes sense later, I promise! I also did a lot of research for this case, and some facts have been altered to fit the story. Thank you to Lady Angel Sanada Doji Date on FanFiction.net for giving me the case idea, I hope I did it justice!

**_Thursday – April_ **

_“It wasn’t me…”_

_Mai spun in place, unable to see anything through the inky blackness that surrounded her. A chill ran down her spin, freezing her muscles as the a breath ghosted along her neck._

_“It wasn’t me.”_

_The desperation clawed at her like a physical thing, dragging her deeper into the darkness._

_“It wasn’t me!”_

With a gasp Mai jolted in her seat, groaning when the seatbelt tightened against her, holding her down, “Well that hurt…”

She rubbed her chest while she unbuckled herself, allowing her eyes to roam across the view outside the windshield, and what she saw took her breath away.

White roofs glistened in the light of the setting sun, giving her a good idea as to where exactly she had woken up. Gardens all around were well kept, trimmed and shaped, blooming with multicoloured flowers. Even the paths were broomed and neat, making sure guests knew where to go. With a huff, the brunette left the vehicle taking in the smell of cut grass and fresh flowers. But there was something underneath it all, a sour scent that made her skin crawl.

“Mai!” The call startled her, giving her just enough time to turn before she was engulfed in a hug.

“Masako-chan! What are you doing here?” Mai hugged the medium in return, smiling as she drew away, holding her at arm’s length, “Weren’t you on tour?”

A delicate blush coated the woman’s cheeks, matching the pastel pink of her kimono, “I was. But someone called in a favour and I couldn’t refuse. Given the circumstances.”

“A favour? Who could you possible owe?” Before Masako could reply, a cold, resentful feeling settled over them and they subconsciously huddled closer, Mai’s hand at the ready to protect her friend.

_“It wasn’t me!”_

The voice echoed loudly, moving their hair as if there were physical force behind the sound. And just as quickly as it sounded, it stopped, the noise replaced quickly by the ringing in their ears.

“Mai! Masako!” It was a familiar head of blonde hair that called for them and Mai released her death grip on Masako’s shoulders, allowing them some distance as they watched the priest, “Are you alright? We heard someone shout.”

Mai’s brows furrowed, drawing together as she stared at the Priest she hadn’t seen for months, “ _We?_ Who is we?” Though she would have loved to have wrapped the young man in a hug, missing her Australian friend, her curiosity won out.

It was then that John cast a sheepish look at Masako who took the chance to hide her face behind her sleeve, refusing to look the brunette in the eyes, “John-san. You really should have watched your words.”

The blonde let out a nervous chuckle, a hand disappearing into his hair as he tried to backpedal, “Ah yes. Well you see, Takigawa-san and, well, I was there. And we heard something yell, and we knew that Masako had come to-“

“John! Did you find them?” The familiar voice of Mai’s pseudo father echoed down to them from the top of the stairs John had run down and Mai shrieked when she saw a familiar red head next to him.

“Ayako!” With a bounce in her step Mai raced up the stairs, colliding solidly with her mother figure, burying her face in her neck, “I’ve missed you!”

Ayako shared a look with Monk, wrapping her arms around the brunette while shooting daggers at her husband, mouthing to him, _‘You still haven’t told her?’_ to which he shrugged, glancing behind the red head.

**”Wow. It’s a sappy reunion. I told him he shouldn’t have called you here. Now no work will get done.”** The snappy voice made Mai tense, her eyes wide as she glanced between her parental figures, something cold and heavy settling in her stomach.

“No way…” Mai removed herself from Ayako’s hold, taking in the concerned expressions on John and Masako’s faces as they stood at the top of the stairs, “No way… Bou-san?”

Monk could only wince, reaching towards the brunette woman, “Jou-chan. I’m sorry. But he asked for our help. And you _know_ he never asks for help. I knew you’d love the case too…”

Feeling torn, Mai took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders before she stepped to the side, taking note of the way that Oliver and Lin stood slightly in front of Charlotte, though both men remained silent. The black notebook in the formers hands pulled at her heart in a way she refused to acknowledge.

“Davis-san. Oliver-san. Charlotte-san… I see we meet again.” Mai tried to put on a professional air, but the smile didn’t meet her eyes and she seemed to be rooted to the spot, even as Masako walked up and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Mai-chan. Like Bou-san said, we’ve been asked to help, so why not hear him out?” Again, something inside her shifted, twisting her insides so suddenly she was surprised she wasn’t ill. But the brunette did manage to nod and allowed herself to be led into the doorway closest to them, surrounded by her family as though they were a shield between herself and her past.

Between her and _him._

“Now that Mai has decided to join us, we can discuss the case.” Per typical fashion, Oliver tried to get a rise out of his ex-assistant, his lips pinching when he realised she stayed silent, taking a seat as far from him as possible in the small sitting area in base, “But before we start, I’d like you to meet my newest assistant, Charlotte Williams. She is the daughter BSPR’s lead investigators for the Local London team. As a favour to her parents, we have taken her onboard to get experience in the field. As such, I hope you can all work together should you choose to become investigators with SPR.”

“Wait, Investigators? We were just consultants you hired case to case before. I can’t do full time.” Ayako voiced her concerns, resting a gentle hand on Mai’s knee while the other held Monk’s arm.

“I understand your concerns, and I do understand that there are things to discuss, but after speaking about the matter with my father he has agreed that the SPR team we had in Japan was incredibly successful in our case turnouts and he is willing to negotiate the contracts as per your requirements. But as I said, that is if you so choose.” Oliver’s eyes rested on everyone for only a few seconds, gauging their reactions to his offer, but it was Mai he settled on the longest. When no one spoke, it was Lin that broke the tension that was silently building in the room.

“As for everyone being here, we would like to thank each of you for taking the time to assist us. Our clients are the Heritage Centre Owners Mia Koji and Ryo Sanada. While the stories featuring Himeji Castle and its spirits are well known, there has been a disturbingly significant increase in activity. Due to the history of the site, we deemed it necessary to call in some local professionals.” A hint of a smile ghosted across Lin’s face before he looked over at his ward, allowing him to once again take control of the briefing.

“We’ve been told the spirit known as _Okiku_ has been acting strangely, and while they have tried a method that was employed years ago when she first appeared, it has since stopped working, and when anyone does try to use the method, they end up hurt.” Mai shivered, hearing the phantom voice from her dream in her ears, brushing against her like a cold breeze.

“There are also some other reports, like a spirit jumping from a tower or something. Oliver, would you like some tea?” Charlotte butted into the conversation, shoving a cup of steaming tea under the man’s nose. What she couldn’t see however was the way he wrinkled his nose at it, something that most people would have missed, but Mai didn’t.

“Well that’s a rude way to talk about a historic sites spirit. You should learn some manners before you learn the hard way why the dead need to be respected.” Ayako huffed, glaring at the young teenager that merely snorted.

“Yeah. Like they can do anything to me.” Charlotte rolled her eyes, placing the tea cup on the coffee table when she realised Oliver wouldn’t take it from her hand.

“You’d be surprised what we’ve encounter Charlotte-san.” It was John, to everyone’s surprise, that scolded young assistant. But it also seemed to work, because Charlotte turned on her heel and proceeded to continue wiring up computer screens.

“In any case,” Oliver continued, clearing his throat to gain everyone’s attention, “We required a larger team due to the size of the site. While we won’t be investigation all of it, it’s still expansive. We are based out of the _Donjon,_ the _Banshu Sarayashiki_ is just past where Bou-san parked this afternoon. We’ve been warned that the garden between here and there, the _Harakirimaru,_ is also closely linked to the well, so we are expecting some form of activity there as well.”

“So… you said Okiku, at least I assume it’s her, has been playing up. She’s now hurting people. Do we know what has agitated her?” Masako questioned the dark-haired man, making sure to cover her mouth with her kimono sleeve, their eyes not quite meeting.

“That is what we are here to find out Hara-san. Yasuhara will be doing some research for us and will be joining us tomorrow.” Oliver closed his notebook, standing from his seat soundlessly and motioned to the side, “There is a room set up for sleeping that way and the kitchen is just behind me. Due to the nature of this investigation, we are to unload and then move our vehicles off site. Our cameras will also need to be placed out of site of the public for the duration of our investigation.”

And just like that, the case was started.


	3. Himeji Castle: Okiku's Well Part 2

**_Thursday – April – Evening_ **

“Mai. Where do you think you’re going?” His voice grated like nails on a chalk board and her shoulders rose around her ears, the events of the day weighing heavily on her. From the betrayal of her parental figures, to being in the presence of her previous love and then the oppressive atmosphere of the location culminated in her temper sky rocketing, and there was only one person she wanted to aim it at.

In a spectacular twirl of brown hair, Mai pierced him with a glare so fierce he could only blink at her, the heat on her face rising as she pointed a finger at him, “How dare you Davis-san? How dare you think you can control me.”

“You work for me Mai. Th-“ He didn’t even have a chance to finish as she rushed forward, pressing her finger into his chest, staring straight into his eyes.

“Get one thing straight _Oliver._ Right now. I _do not_ work for you, and if I sign that contract, and please, _don’t_ hold your breath, I’d be working _with you._ Not for you.” Done with what she had to say to him, and noticing the audience that could only stare in shock, she spun around and marched straight out of base and followed the hallways until she exited into the _Harakirimaru,_ the garden outside to Donjon that housed them.

Rage simmered under her skin, the force of her emotions making her head ache but she was determined to put as much distance between herself and _him_ as she could. The trees and loose stones around her rustled and shifted without wind as she stormed by, her mind a mile a minute.

_‘It wasn’t my fault!’_ The voice snapped her out of her anger, making her freeze mid-step, _‘Why won’t you listen to me?!’_

The brunette glanced to her side, over the railing that divided the bailey from the drop to the lower level where Okiku’s well rested and she had to bite back a scream at what she saw.

Over the lip of the well, hair tangled and clothes bloody, was the spirit she had heard, there was no mistaking it. There was only one legend on the grounds that matched the area and victim, and Mai could only shiver as she realised the worst had come to be.

Okiku had become malevolent.

Following the dead servants gaze, Mai felt her blood chill, noticing the way a bush literally tore itself in two next to Naru’s newest assistant, the young British girl curled up and by the looks of it, crying.

Another gust of wind tore through a tree closer to Charlotte and the brunette finally looked up, noticing how chilled the spring air had become. It was then that Mai realised she couldn’t see the spirit, and dread twisted heavily in her gut.

“Shit!” Mai took off at a dead run, dust lifting behind her as she vaulted the fence, finding purchase on the old staircase that tourists were no longer allowed to walk on. A voice guided her, allowing her to focus solely on making her way to the girl before she was harmed.

**“Charlotte! Hurry! Run to me!”** Charlotte’s head snapped up to look at her in the dim light of the moon, and she didn’t question the command. She bolted from her spot, eyes wide in panic as the ground behind her was ripped up and it seemed like the few metres between them stretched on for an insurmountable amount of time. Mai lifted her hand just as Charlotte darted behind her, a wind sickle slicing into Mai’s shoulder and leaving an angry trail of red to stream down her now useless arm. Acting quickly, she allowed her arm to drop, raising the other quickly, “Rin! Pyo! To! Sha! Kai! Jin! Retsu! Zai! Zen! Akuryo Taisan!”

A wave blew out from her, shattered the image of Okiku and instantly, the air warmed, leaving both females panting, one from fear, the other from pain. Mai collapsed to one knee, pressing a hand to her wound to staunch the bleeding.

“Mai!” The concern pulled at her heart and Mai looked up, watching a teary eyed Ayako fall to her knees, “God Mai. Are you okay? What am I saying, of course you aren’t.”

Emotions coiled in her throat, allowing no noise to pass her lips, so she just nodded, unaware that Monk had knelt down on her other side, his eyes like steel as he looked over at the well, making sure the spirit was truly repelled for the time being.

“I… thank you.” Charlotte cried, wrapping her arms around Mai’s waist and she pressed her face into the brunette’s back.

“Charlotte. What were you thinking?” Naru’s voice cut through the air like a knife, drawing everyone’s attention. He strolled up to them, his face covered in a slight sheen of sweat, but only Mai and Lin picked up on it, the older of the two quickly leaning down to observe the cut she had sustained.

“Are you alright Taniyama-san? Can you stand?” Lin placed his arms under her good shoulder and she silently allowed him to lift her to her feet, a small gasp leaving her at the movement pulled on her wound.

“Mai… Let’s get you checked out. Will you…” Ayako didn’t want to finish her sentence, too afraid of the rejection that Mai had every right to hand her. But to her surprise, Mai nodded, her eyes downcast as she allowed the older members of the team to guide her back to base.

It was only when the bright lights of their room stung her eyes did Mai realise that they had made it to their destination. Wordlessly, the men left her with Ayako and a waiting Masako with a first aid kit. The two women helped Mai peel her jacket and shirt off, discarding the ruined clothing before setting to work on the brunette.

“You’re lucky Mai. It isn’t too deep. Either the spirit wasn’t too strong or she didn’t really want to hurt you.” Ayako pulled the liquid stitches from the box Masako held open for her, getting to work on cleaning and closing the wound.

“Luck? Sure. Because my day has been so full of it already.” Bitterness was heavy in Mai’s voice and she knew she’d struck a nerve when Ayako stopped.

“Mai… Mai I’m so sorry. We… we wanted to tell you. But we owed him. And it was because of him that we met you Mai, and Houshou and I couldn’t imagine our lives without you. You were our missing piece Mai. He feels horrible for having done this to you. Just like I do. And I know… But we needed you here. With us.” Ayako choked on her words, her hand in the actions to hurt her daughter figure heavy on her conscience.

“Ayako…” Mai spoke for the first time since she left base, her voice rough with pain, “I… I still love you and Monk. I do… But… You knew he broke my heart. He tore me apart and he ruined the family I’d made. And then you guys went and sided _with_ him. That… that…”

Ayako quickly finished with the liquid stitches, pressing an adhesive gauze pad to the now sealed laceration to her shoulder before enveloping to brunette in a hug, burying her face in her hair.

“Mai, my sweet Mai. I love you too. We just thought this would help you, but we didn’t think you’d come on your own. And you need help. Everything is getting too much and he’s the only one that can help. I know somewhere inside, you know that too.” The two women sat, tears streaming down their faces.

“Mai?” Masako’s voice gently pulled their attention and the women turned to look at the Medium holding out a loose shirt to the brunette which she took with a grateful smile, “I know apologies will not fix this, and I know I played my own hand in this. But I hope you can forgive us for our transgression against you. I know we only had your best interests at heart.”

They all shared watery smiles and Mai allowed them to help her up from the bed, her shoulder twinging ever so slighting, “Okay… I have some information about the case now too. So… let’s go back to base.”

Ayako and Masako nodded, allowing Mai to take the lead, but she didn’t get much further than opening then door. Arms appeared out of the shadows and wrapped around her, avoiding the white of her bandage as she was pressed against a familiar chest. A sense of security settled around her, allowing her to put aside her emotions in favour of the comfort the person offered.

“Geez Mai. You have to stop doing that. You’ll give me a heart attack one of these days!” Monk held her at arm’s length once he was ready, casting a critical eye over her, making sure she really was in one piece.

“I know Monk. I promise to be careful.” The light banter shocked the blonde man, mouth open as she continued, “Don’t think I’ve forgiven you for all of this. I’m still mad at all of you. But… there are more important things to deal with right now. Like finding out why it’s taken this long for a spirit to become malevolent.”

“You… you know about the spirit? Did you have a vision?” He was only greeted with her shaking her head, wriggling out of his hold to continue down the hallway.

“If you come to base then you’ll find out exactly what I know.” She cast a weak smile over her shoulder before she disappeared into the neighbouring room, giving a courteous greeting to those within while she waited for the rest of the team to join her.

Mai took a seat on an armchair within easy view of everyone, waiting for them to be seated before she began, “I know at least one of the names of a spirit haunting this site. And it won’t be something easy to fix for us, I can assure you of that.”

“And how is it that you know the spirit Taniyama-san?” The ever-ready Lin was facing her, fingers posed over his laptop to take notes.

“Because this site, Himeji Castle, is notorious for one of it’s legends. The story of Okiku and her well.” Mai could hear the others gasp, could almost feel the sorrow that Masako exuded at hearing a confirmation of her earlier suspicions.

“Okiku?” Naru tapped his chin with a pen, his note book open and bare, “And what is so special about this spirit?”

“Geez. That’s a hard one Naru.” Ayako grumbled, crossing her arms, “The story of Okiku, or rather, _Okiku’s Well,_ is a story told throughout Japan, undoubtably the world with how many tourists come to see the site of her death.”

“Well Mrs Takigawa, enlighten me.” Naru cast a steady gaze on her, watching as she fidgeted.

“That’s not so simple Naru. There are multiple versions of the story. So no one is really sure which one is true. But they all end the same way. With Okiku at the bottom of the well. It was originally called _Tsurube-Tori,_ but once her spirit made an appearance, it was renamed.” Takigawa spoke solemnly, brows furrowed as he thought, “One of the stories my father told me was that she was the shoguns favourite servant during his rule here. When he was gifted gold plates by his son, he entrusted her to clean them. There was a whole thing about a plot to overthrow him or something and she overheard. They tried to blackmail her into silence by stealing a plate. She was accused of theft and the person that wanted to overthrow the shogun was placed in charge of her punishment. The details are a little fuzzy from there, but I’m pretty sure they tortured her and threw her down the well.”

“That’s funny.” Ayako hummed, staring at her husband with curious eyes, “The version I heard was that a man had wanted to seduce her, when she refused, he took a gold plate from her master as blackmail. She was so sad and desperate, she drowned herself in the well. Her spirit would rise each night to count the plates only to find one missing. It drove the samurai she worked for mad.”

“So, there are multiple retellings of the story. How do we know which is the right one?” Oliver spoke aloud, staring at his notes with Charlotte hovering over his shoulder.

“I dream…” Mai had a far-off look to her eyes, as though she could already visual the vision she would have, “I saw her at the well. And I heard her in my dream earlier today. Then Masako and I both heard her crying afterwards. Something has changed to make her become malevolent, rather than just coming out to count plates. I’ll see what I can do in my astral plane.”

With no other course of action to be had, the crew already having one person injured and other terrified to go out alone, they dispersed for the evening and turned in.

Mai got as comfortable as she could in base, Ayako placed a blanket over her before bidding her a good night. And easily enough, Mai dreamt…

**Author's Note:**

> If you can guess what the chapter was referencing to, comment! If you guess right I'll message you and you can choose a future case of the criteria for it!


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